Drill.



H. R. HGHBS.

DRILL.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV.20, 1908.

Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

HOWARD R. HUGHES, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS DRILL.

Specication of LettersvPatent.

Patented Aug. 1o, ioe.

Application led'November 20, 1908. Serial No. 468,642.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that pI, HOWARD R. HUGHES, a cltizen of the United States, residing at Houston, Texas, have ,invented a certain new aud useful Improvement in Drills, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tol make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which*V Figure l is a bottom plan view of a drill constructed in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of said drill.

This invention relates to boring drills, and particularly to roller drillssuch asv are used for drilling holes in earth and rock.

The main object of my -inventio'n is t0 provide a drill that is compact and strong and which comprises very few parts that are of suitable dimensions to withstand the strains to which they are subjected even when they are embodied in a drill that is used for boring comparatively small holes as, for example, holes of four inches in diameter. I' i /Another object is t'o provide a drill con-l sisting of a head'and a face plate coperating with said head to form closed bearings for the trunnions or spindles of a plurality of cutting rollers or bits that project through openingsin the face plate, said .face plate also acting as a protecting member which prevents pieces o hard material from .becomiiig wedged between the rollers and some rigid obstruction andv thus breaking the rollers or damaging them.

Another object is to provide a drill havinc` a head inside of-,which a. number of approximately frusto-oonical-shaped 'cutting members are arranged, the head being so formed that a rigid bearing surface is provided for each of said cutting members to 'offset or resist the end thrusts to which they are subjected when the drill advances into the material on which it is operating.

Referring to the drawin s which illustrate the preferred form o my invention, A designates the head of the drill, and l designates a screw-threaded portion on said head for connecting the head to an operating lnember, not shown, the head being provided with a longitudinally 'extending bore 2 through which water is forced so as to.

lmembers 3 and 4 travel.

displace the material that the drill disintegrates or pulverizes.- The head A is preferably flattened Von two of its oppositely disposed sides, as shown ,in Fig. 1, so that it will not completely till the cylindricalshaped hole' that the cutting members -on the head form in the material on which the drill operates, thus producing a clearance for any ieces of material that are dislodged but whii are too hard to be pulverized oi' disintegrated by the cutting members.

A lplurality of approximately frusto-conical-shaped rollers or cutting members are Vmounted im the head A for grinding up or disintegrating the material through which the drill is belng forced, and in the preferred form 'of my invention as herein shown, said head is Vprovided with three cutting members 3, 4 and 5 whose axes extend at an angle to the bo're'2 or longitudinal axis ofthe head A so that the 'cutting ,surface of said members will-formV a portion of the end face of the head. In the construction herein shown the cutting members are provided with chisel teeth but, if desired, the cutting members could be provided with pyramidalshaped projections such as those in the drill bits now vin use;

The `cutting members or rollers 3 and 4 turn about the same axis and the member 3 is smaller than the member 4 and is spaced 'to.thecuttingmemberSB and 4 or arranged iin sucha position'that it will act upon the same surface "that the cutting member 4 operatesupon and also upon the surface that lies between the paths in which the cutting The cutting members 3 and Ltare-mounted in one side of the vhead A, -andthe cutting member 5 is mounted in the-opposite side of said head, and said members are preferably so disposed that their axes extend tangentially or to one side of the vertical axis of the head, as shown in Fig. 1, instead of extending radially from the vertical axis of the head. I prefertoarrange the cutting members in this manner' so that their cutting teeth will have a shearing -action on the materialV through which the Adrill is forced, but, if desired, the Vcutting members could be arranged so that their axes extended radially i from vthe longitudinal axis of the head and thus cause the cutting members to have a 4end plate B connected to said head, the cut-V ting member 5 also being provided with integral trunnions 7 that are4 'journaled' in bearings formed in said head and face plate. Thehead is cut away so as to form pockets- 32.4# and 5a that receive the cutting mem-A bers 3, taid 5, respectively, and the face plate B is provided lwith slots or openings 'through' which said'cutting members project a slight distance beyond the outer surface of said face plate. The central portion ofthe outer or end bearing face of the face. plate B is flat and of rectangular-shape, as shown in Fig. 1, and the other portions 8 of the outer surface of said face plate are also fiat but they are inclined upwardly `from said central portion, as shown 1n Fi 2 so as to produce` a tapered end bearing ace. The end face of the head A, with which the face plate B coperates', is tapered, as shown in Fig; 2, and the inner surface of vsaid face plate conforms to the shape of said head so as to snugly embrace same, the face plate pref#A erably consisting of two sections that are connected to the head by a number of screws 9,. The cutting members are sodisposed that they form a hole having a tapered bottom from kthe center of which a small conical-shaped core projectsthe end face 3" of the cutting member 3 forming said core and gradually breaking or pulverizing same as A the drill advances into the earth or rock in yond the which it is operating. I refer to provide thc end face 3" of the cutting member with a number of holes 10, as shown in Fig. l, whose edges form cutting surfaces. The cutting members t and 5 roject slightly be* eriphery of t e head A4 so. as t'o form a ho e of greater dimensions than said head and thus provide a clearance for the ldisintegrated 'or pulverized material that is washed out of the hole by the water vforced through the longitudinal bore 2 in said head.

.The main advantage of a drill of this construction is that it comprises very few parts,

vall of which 'can be made' large enough to withstand the strains to which they are subjccted when the drill isused for boring small hole's. That is to say, that by constructing the drill in the .manner above described, L if build a drill that can be used to form sma'ti holes, say, for example, a holefour inches in diameter, because the head is provided with only three 'cutting rollers which can be made large enough toprcvent them from breaking when they come in' contactA with a hard substance. The drills ot* this general type which have heretofore been in use compriseda great many parts so that it was practicallyimpossible to use the'drills for boring small holes for the parts would have to be made so small that they would Anot withstand -the strains to which they were subjected. v

Another advantage of my improved drill is that the spindles or trunnions for the cutting rollers are completely incased in practically a solid head so that the rollers will not be bent or displaced when they are sub- -ject'ed to excessive strains. Inv view of the Vfact thatl onlya portion of each roller projects a slight distance beyond the outer surface of the face plate, itwill be impossible for pieces of* hard material to become wedged between the rollers and a rigid obstruction-- and thus break the rollers off the head, the face plate also preventing therollers from cutting too deep into the material. lAnother advantage of incasing the trun nions or spindles for the cutting rollers in this manner is that it prevents dirt and grit :froni'collecting on said trunnions and thus causing them towear away quickly. And

y still another advantage of mounting the cutting members in the manner above described is'that the" upper end or base end of euch cuttingmember bears directly upon a solid surface; namely, the walls of the pockets in ,y the head vand face plate, that resists the end thrusts to which the cutting members are subjected as vthe drill advances vinto the inaterial. l

- Having thus described my invention, what -I claim as new and desire to secure by Let- -ters Patentis:

1. A drill'consisting of a head provided with ockets and bearings, truste-conicalshaped) cutting members arranged in said pockets and provided with trunnionsl that are journaled in said.4 bearings, and a face plate connected to said head to forni the end bearingfface of the head and provided with openings through which portions of said cutting members project slightly; substantially. as described.

2. A drill consisting of a head provided with a tapered end bearin face, a spindle journaled iii-said head an arranged .at un angle to the longitudinal center of the head, a pair of frusto-conical-shaped cutting meinbers of dierent dimensions formed integral with said spindle and having portions of their cutting -surfaces (projecting slightly through openings in saiv end bearing tace, and a third angularlyfdisposed frustofconical-shaped cutting member journaled in said head and projecting slightly through an opening in the end bearing face, said third cutting member beingarranged in such a position that it operates upon the surface that lies out of the pathof movement of either of ill consisting of a head having a tapered end face in which pockets andfbearings are formed, frustoeconical-shaped cutting members arran ed in said' pockets and provided with spin les that are journaled in said bearings, and an end bearing plate conformingjto the enel face lof said head and completely' incasing the spindles on said cuttingv members,said end bearing' plate be.

ing provided vWithislot-s. or-openings through which the cutting members project slight-ly and also having bearings in which the spindles of the cuttlnof members are 'journaleL 4. A drill conslsting of' a head having a longitudinal bore through which a liquid is forced to Hush out the hole that-'the drill4v forms in thefmaterial, and three frustofconical-shaped cuttingmembers journaled .in said head'and arranged in suchpositions rel-f ativel to each other that they 'Willform ja cylin rical-shaped Hole, gone'fofp-saidgcut-ting members having teeth that' shear' off the maf-' terial from the` side of-tlielioleb'eingformed.

5. A drill provided With-.a-headliaving a' tapered end face, two parallelflatSside-faces and two Ycurved side faeesfarranged'between said flat side faces, said tapered end face and sidefaces havin openings, and agplurality of frusto-conica -sha ed cutting members g journaled in saidA liead and' projecting '30 slightly through 'the openings in'said tapered end face and said curved side faces;

substantially as described.,

6. A drill comprising a head having an end facefthat is provided with a .fiat-central portion andtwo portions that incline up-v wardly therefrom, said flat portion vand in-` clined portions having openings form-ed therein, and a plurality of truste-conical` shaped cutting members journaled in said 40V head and projecting through the openings in the flat'central portion andinthe'inclined portions of saidend face; substantially--as described. f g

7.-A- dri1l consisting'of ahead provided with a plurality of cutting menbers vof frusto-conicalshape that have .longitudinally extending-chisel teeth, pocketsmsaid head for'in'casmg all but slight portions of each of said euttingme'mbers, saidcutting members being arranged'in sucha position that the teeth thereof have a shearing action upon the material on which the drill'operates, and.. a bore extending longitudinally through said head so as to enable the hole to be flushed out; substantially 'as described.

8. A drill consisting of a head provided with a longitudinal bore and having a number of pockets and bearings, a plurality of frusto conical -shaped cutting members arranged in 'said pockets and provided with trunnions that' are jonrnaled in said bearings, said cutting membersbeing staggered relatively to each, other, and a plate connected to said head to formthe end bearing hea'd and provided with trunnions that are.

journaled mbearings in said head, and a face plate connected to said head to form the end bearing face of the -head and also jour- ,nals for said trunnions,said end plate being lprovided with slots or openings through which portions of said cutting members project slightly; substantially as described.

.f-L 10. A drill comprising a head provided with pockets, approximately frusto-conicallsha ed cutting members mounted in said poc ets and arranged With their axes'lcon- `'verging toward-the longitudinal centerof the head,.and a face plate connected to said head for retaining the rollers in said pockets.

11. A drill comprising a head provided with pockets, approximately frustoconicalshaped cutting members mounted said pockets andarranged with their'axes converging. toward the longitudinal center of .the head, and a face plate connected to said head for retainin the rollersin said pockets, the eripheral e ge of oneof said cutting mem ers projectin beyond the side face of the head so as to orma hole of greater di ameter than the head.'

12. In a drill, a head having an end bearing face'and a ocket that terminates in an opening in said caring face', and a rotatable cutting members arra-n ed insaid pocket and having a portion o? its cutting surface projecting through said opening, said pocket conforming to the shape of said cutting "member, so that portions of said member bear against'some of the walls of said pocket.

13. In a drill, a solid head having an end bearing face and a pocket that terminates in an opening in said bearing face, and an approximately frusto conical shaped roller arranged in said pocket' and having a portion of its periphery projectingthrough said opening, said pocket conforming approximately t9 the shape of said roller so that the end faces of the roller will bear against the ,Walls of said Qcket.

14. Ina dr1ll,\a head composed of a plurality of parts, coperating recesses formed in the meeting faces of said parts to form a closedl bearing, a` spindle mounted in .said bearing and aving its, end portions comloo pletely incased by the parts of the head, l bearings for receiving the spindle and also and a cutting member carried by said., an opening'or slot for receiving said roller.-

spindle, In testimony whereof I hereunto alix my 15. In a drill, a head consisting 4of a signature in the presence of two Witnesses,

member that is `provided with a pocket and this seventeenth day of November 1908.

also bearings that project laterally from said pocketa roller arranged in said pocket, HOWARD R' HUGHES' a splndle for said roller mounted in said bearings, and an end plate connected to said Witnesses WELLS L. CHURCH,

10 member and provided with 'coperatingl GEORGE BAKEWELL. 

